The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-10-13
OuIs WASHINGTON LETTER

Special Correspondence of the NEWS:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. Ito
chronicle the news of the past week at
the National Capital, would be but to
review the incidents attending the most
enthusiastic ovation ever rendered to
an individual outside of public life,
by the grateful residents and property
owners of city. The unpaved I'M
shaded streets, delapidated walks and
buildings, and vast expanse of vacant
grounds, surface sewage and the gener-
ally uninviting appearance Of the city
and its surroundings during the dark
days of the rebellion, and which con-
tinued until the advent of Mr.. Shepherd
as governor of the District of Column
bia in 1871, will be well remembered
by ali who may have visited the
national capitol during that period,
and the name of Boss Shepherd is
almost as familiar as that of the city
which owes to him more than to any
other man. the right to the justly
claimed distinction, of being the finest
city in America. The worlds bene-
factors have always been the worlds
uaItyAS, anu OOtOIHOA OACpHOAu udS
been no exception to the rule.
Probably no man was ever more
roundly and universally abused than
was MIR. Shepherd prior to the time of
his departure for Mexico a few years
since. Unlike most of his predecessors
however MIR. Shepherd has lived long
enough to see the fruits of his Iabors.
AS the work of city improvements has
been advanced from year to- year the
people have awakened to a realization
of the fact that all that has been ac-
complished has been due to the fore
sight and determination of Mr.. Shep-
herd and to-day he may be said to be
the most popular man in Washington.
When it became known that he con-
templated visiting the city, meeting
of the citizens was called, and a fund
of ten thousand dollars subscribed to
defray the expense of the demon
stration in honor of his return. Never
in the history of the city have the COM
an extent as they did upon Thursday
evening. From the capitol to the
treasury department the great sea of
humanity surged ceaseleSsly for hours
while the entire city was ablaZe with
fire works. A novel feature of the
demonstration consisted in the parade
of the wheelman which formed the adj
vance guard OF the procession. mOre
than six hundred bicycles and tricycles
were in line, each rider carrying four
Chinese lanterns of various colors and
brilliancy, which combined to form a
spectacle truly oriental In its splendor.
During the Presidents and Mrs.
Cleyeland's absence on their tour now
IN progress through the west and
south, the White House is undergoing
its annual renovation to place it in
condition for the gayities of the coming
/ winter. The house cleaning of the
First Lady in the Land is thus adj
mirably managed, and how many OF
our housewives wish with envy that
| their task was as easily accomplished
Last week our citizens were favored
1 with reminder of the 'sDays of 1776'
| in the visit of the Putnam Phalanx Of
! Hal tford, Conn, who in their CONT
mental uniforms formed a very pic
turesque appearance. They were will
us several days visiting all the princi
al points of interest, including o.
Wednesday last a pilgrimage to Mt
| Vernon the home and last resting plac
of our Iustrious fore-father and reyol
utionary General Washington. II.